– YVES EDWARDS COMMENTS ON MOVE TO ATT

by Damon Martin – MMAWeekly.com
American Top Team, one of the premier mixed martial arts camps in the world, recently announced the addition of Yves Edwards to their team. Edwards has fought all over the world for a number of promotions including both the UFC and Pride.

Recently, Edwards has fallen on tough times losing his last three fights in a row, but the change in camps should rejuvenate a fighter who is still widely seen as one of the most dangerous at 155 pounds.

“Look at the list of guys they have at 155,” said Edwards about his reasons for joining American Top Team. “And that’s totally neglecting the fact that they have guys like Denis Kang, Wilson Gouveia and a bunch of other top guys at different weights, but just look at the 155-pounders I get to train with just by hooking up with them.”

With the evolution of mixed martial arts over the last few years, it seems more and more fighters are taking hold with the major camps around the country, like American Top Team, and they are finding the new home beneficial to their fight careers.

“Everybody there is still a part of the game,” stated Edwards. “Still evolving with the game and I think that’s been my problem for the past 2 or 3 years or so. I haven’t been changing with the game and it’s partially because I haven’t been training with other top notch MMA guys.”

Edwards also mentioned the lack of a fighter’s union as a reason to join up with a top team to have the support system necessary to back the athletes when dealing with promoters and organizations.

“With MMA, especially as big as the sport’s gotten, it was cool 4 or 5 years ago that I could do this alone, but with the sport being as big as it is now, and there not being any kind of fighter’s union or anything like that, the closest thing we have is a strong team,” Edwards said.

“To be wanted by a strong team and be accepted by a strong team, it’s getting guys to stand behind me to say ‘well, you can’t screw this guy over, he’s with our crew now.’ Not necessarily that people have been trying to do that or have done that, but you have to take cautious steps in any direction you move.”

Now with Edwards firmly in place with American Top Team alongside other top lightweights who train there like Gezias “JZ” Calvancante, Din Thomas, Jorge Masvidal, and others, he is hoping to get back to the top of the 155-pound weight class.

The next fight for Yves Edwards is likely to take place in October for the Cage Wars promotion in Ireland.